Eighteen athletes will this year be benefiting from the Malta Olympic Committee’s Athlete Support Programmes.
The schemes are once again under the direction of Pippo Psaila, the MOC Sports Director.
Addressing the media yesterday, Psaila said the MOC’s expenses this year in preparation for the Commonwealth Games will add up to around Lm220,000, although considering other commitments, the total expenditure of the MOC will probably total something around Lm350,000.
He said government was providing a grant of Lm120,000 this year while the MOC will provide the federations with around Lm79,000 in logistic support which consists of scholarships, medical schemes and gym preparation for the athletes selected to represent the country at the Melbourne Games.
Psaila said: “We are doing everything we can to have competitive athletes at the Commonwealth Games and we are laying a great emphasis on the fact that as from six years ago, we started to provide funds to those athletes who really deserve such funds. We have been provided with a lot of satisfactions in the past six years. With a little amount of money we always try to get the optimum mileage.”
He said it was the athletes who will eventually be benefiting from the amounts being spent on their preparation for these Games. “I am sure they will be challenging for a medal. Why not? So far, only three out of all those who were selected to form part of the squads, failed to get a medal. Athletes have a duty to perform when selected in these schemes. If they have no credentials to be role models in their particular discipline, then they will have no place with us. We are now being more selective and we are sure this group of athletes projects the MOC’s image well,” he said.
He thanked the federations and the athletes’ clubs for being mature and accepting the MOC’s proposals for the welfare of their own athletes.
Finally he congratulated all the athletes who have been selected to form part of this year’s schemes.
MOC president Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco made it clear that those selected to form part of these schemes are those who get the results, but there are certain criteria which have to be observed and target reached.
He said everyone must be aware of the fact that tremendous progress has been made by Maltese athletes, compared to the past. But he insisted we can even be better. As an example, he mentioned the recent success of Cypriot tennis player Marcos Baghdatis who advanced to the final of the Australian Open where he lost to Roger Federer. “Even we in Malta have an outstanding athlete, despite being a small nation. And I believe we can have others like him in future. That is why the MOC is intent on expanding on the best athletes it possesses – we want to given them the opportunity to fare better in future international competitions,” he remarked.
He reiterated that there were certain tough criteria for an athlete to qualify as an outstanding athlete. If one does not match any of these criteria he or she will not qualify. The MOC president also made it clear that distinctions have to be made between athletes hailing from Olympic Sports and those from non-Olympic sports.
And he explained: “The reason is simple. In the case of Olympic Sports we get immense financial help not just from the government, but also from the International Olympic Committee, the European Olympic Committee, the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Mediterranean Games Federation. In the case of the others, there would be no such help, though we, sometimes, make some exceptions,” he said.
Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco also said that those in the schemes have no guarantee they will be there for ever. “If they fail to deliver, then we will have to act accordingly. And if other athletes show they are worthy of joining in, they will certainly be included,” he added.